Storybook Spotlight: Ten Beautiful Things

 

Title: Ten Beautiful Things 
Author: Molly Beth Griffin
Illustrator: Maribel Lechuga
Publisher: Charlsbridge, 2021.
Where to Find It:

• Buy Here: Ten Beautiful Things on Amazon.in

• Read Online: - No link available

Best For:

For anyone above the age group of 3 +. May have to be read to for smaller ages. 

The Tale in a Nutshell

When everything is working well, life is hard. So when it gets complicated, life is really hard - no matter who you are or your age. TEN BEAUTIFUL THINGS is a book that helps a navigate this hard life with one simple idea. This book can be the right book for you. 

Why This Book Shines

With the first line, we are hooked onto a sadness that comes from change, a grief, a shift. In this story, it is on the shoulder of a young girl called Lily. She is shifting to Iowa due to some life changing event - could be anything. The story does not say, but it shows the grief. Grandma being the adult also has to adapt to it. So they have each other now. They have to survive this. One day at the time. Today with the car ride. 

Gran suggests that she share ten beautiful things that she can see out of the window of the car. 

Lily is not sure she can see anything beautiful, but slowly the list starts and grows, ending in a beautiful embrace. The situation awaiting them does not change. But, it make the the ride hopeful, and the future hopeful. 

The book is written poetically, yet with such simple assembly of words, like these 

Describing the windmills

When describing an old beaten down ranch house, Lily moans that it is not pretty and cannot make the list of things beautiful. To this grandma says 

Towards the end of the story, when they pass the thunderstorm, here is how Molly Beth Griffin writes about it

Artful Notes

The color palette of Ten Beautiful Things is both soft and stirring — gently evoking the emotional journey of Lily, a girl navigating change and unfamiliar territory.

• Soft earth tones (warm browns, dusty greens, gentle yellows) create a comforting atmosphere, grounding Lily’s road trip across the rural Midwest.

• Cool blues and greys reflect her initial sadness and uncertainty, especially in the earlier scenes of leaving home.

• As the journey unfolds and Lily begins to notice the beauty around her, pops of brighter colors like orange sunsets, golden fields, and pink skies begin to appear — subtly tracking her shift from apprehension to acceptance and hope.

• The use of light and shadow is gentle but purposeful — the changing skies mirror emotional transitions, from cloudy doubts to open-skied calm.

Maribel Lechuga’s illustrations are expressive and full of movement. Her art feels like a visual poem, blending realism with a touch of whimsy. The brushwork is loose yet purposeful, evoking a sense of journey and emotional fluidity. There’s a wonderful use of perspective, especially during the road trip — the wide, sweeping landscapes open up Lily’s world just as her heart begins to open too.

Lechuga also beautifully captures the intimacy between Lily and her grandmother through close-ups and shared glances, making the story as much about connection as it is about nature.

Little Extras

This book is perfect for anyone struggling to adapt to change, and grief. It is like the idea of show gratitude for... but it is a perfect idea for anyone struggling. It shifts the focus to something positive. 

Good to use in the PSE Library! 

Little books, big feelings. Keep reading.
Hugs,
Dee

So i added a banner to my blog

but, I had to remove it.. becuase this is what blogspot did

there you see, that annoying red box at the end... 

I tried so many things, so many measurements 

but it did not work... 

the mysterious red box kept appearing in all iterations...

so i asked Chatgpt

It gave me a code, an alternate measurement, suggested toggling with shrink to fit buttons, image placement settings... 

nothing has worked...

so I am back here

Will keep trying.

 

So here is the new banner for my blog ...

Ah! So, here we are.. with a new banner for my blogspot. I tried to encapsulate all that my blog means to me in a series of pictures. 

My blog is called Dee's Monkey Mind. It is because, nothing explains my mind, or the human mind better. We are all possessors of the monkey mind. A very discursive mind, that also hops from topic to topic, when not tamed, and very agitated, very distracted and unquiet. I feel, when I see my friends and family, my mind tends to be this way a lot. 

When I was younger, I had the idea that the big purpose of my life was to be this, or that. A good daughter, a friend, a this role, or the best in that role... but as I am getting older, it occurs to me that the best thing for me today, to aspire towards, actually, instinctually is to still the monkey mind and heart. 

My mind is constantly jumping, chattering, saying unhelpful things, just because that is what it knows. I know how to quieten the mind, still it.. I know from the literature I have read. What I need is practice. Now, not that there is no time, but this is where the monkey mind works its routine. 

It inhibits change, it tries to stay safe, and then jump around to distract you from that very thought that propells you to change. In my story, I can tell you a hundred things that I have done, handled just so that I didn't have to go through that change. 

Change, on the long term, for it to settle into the subtle mind, from my understanding, needs consistency- which is a daily process, a mindful process, and which is therefore a boring process. This is the opposite of the monkey mind. 

Sometimes, you work for months, why years on just taming your mind to be consistent, all in the long term traning of the monkey mind. 

If you ask what is wrong with keeping the mind monkeying around, nothing wrong with it, until it affects your day to day life, with negative thoughts, anxiety, latches on to fear, panic and everything negative. Harnessing your own monkey mind, to be still and creative rather than disruptive, and hurtful is a personal aspiration. 

Hopefully in this space, I can write about such things safely and interact with you all. 

Have a happy Saturday! 

Storybook Spotlight : Senefer - A Young Genius in Old Egypt

 

Title: Senefer - A Young Genius in Old Egypt
Author:Beatrice Lumpkin
Illustrator: Linda Nickens
Publisher: Africa World Press
Where to Find It:

• Buy Here: Senefer - A Young Genius in Old Egypt on Amazon

• Read Online: Senefer - A Young Genius in Old Egypt on Archive.Org

Best For:

6 - 10 years 

The Tale in a Nutshell

A book introducing life in Ancient Egypt during the time of Queen Hatshepsut and how advanced they were as a civilization. 

Math Concepts in the book

Number system, Pythogaras theorem applied. 

Why This Book Shines

Imagine discovering geometry not from a textbook, but while building a pyramid in the hot Egyptian sun! Senefer – A Young Genius in Old Egypt takes us right into that magical world, where ancient wisdom, numbers, and architecture come alive through the story of a young boy with a brilliant mind.

🏺 A journey to Ancient Egypt – through a child’s eyes

Beatrice Lumpkin, a math educator and activist, brings her deep love for mathematics and history into this delightful tale. Senefer is not your average boy—he’s curious, thoughtful, and has a knack for solving problems. Through his eyes, we explore how mathematics was used in daily life in ancient Egypt—from measuring fields after the Nile’s floods to planning the layout of grand temples.

This isn’t just a story—it’s a history lesson in disguise, told with warmth and charm.

• Real-world math, ancient style: Children learn how math was useful—not abstract or boring. Senefer's cleverness feels grounded in his environment.

• Cultural richness: The book quietly weaves in Egyptian customs, clothing, language, and even the role of scribes and laborers.

• Visual appeal: The illustrations (especially in the reprint editions) are simple yet evocative—ideal for middle-grade readers.

  What I love most is that Lumpkin doesn't just give us a character to admire—she gives us a role model who uses his mind, respect for tradition, and kindness to find his place in the world.

  In a time when ancient civilizations feel so distant, Senefer brings them close to our hearts and reminds us that brilliance has no age—and certainly no expiration date.

Artful Notes

The illustration is culturally resonant. It is transporting to the time and place, and depects both the simple life and a patriarchal society. The judemental eyes of the community as she rode a horse or was in the debate courtyard, is telling of how the society viewed her. 

Lines from the book

Dee: I love books that tell me a lot about plkaces in different times, and cultures, in a way where you can almost visualise it. This is a great book!

From my reading nook to yours,
Dee

Storybook Spotlight: Of Numbers and Stars - The Story of Hypatia - Anne Love and Pam Paparone

 

Image Source: Good Reads

Title: Of Numbers and Stars - The Story of Hypatia
Author: Anne Love 
Illustrator: Pam Paparone
Publisher: Holiday House, published in 2006
Where to Find It:

• Buy Here: Of Numbers and Stars on Amazon.com

• Read Online: Of Numbers and Stars on Archive.org

Best For:

6 - 9 years 

The Tale in a Nutshell

This is a biography of Hypatia - and her amazing mind 

Why This Book Shines

There is not much literature out there about women who have made a mark in the world of Mathematics or science. So, shining a light on Hypatia who was from Alexandria is notable. She paved a path by being curious, and encouraged by her father Theon a mathematican. 

As I look at books for children in 2025 about women who made a mark in the world of mathematics, not a lot is found. Two things celebrated her, how her father opened out the world for her, and how her curiosity paved the path, even when the world was patriarchal and cruel. 

The text is rich, and descriptive - and depicts an ancient time that was flourishing in science, curiosity and trade. It tells the choice made by Theon about educating his daughter, even though it is suggested the mother had more traditional choices for the daughter. Hypatia becames an ace at horse riding, fishing, learns about nature, philosophy, astronomy and mathematics. She becomes a debater. 

The author's note suggests that Hypatia, despite her intelligence and wisdom was viewed by a very patriatrchal leader and fanatics he raised with fear. They attacked and dragged her to her death. Her friends called for justice after her death, and did not get any where. Her work and contributions were wiped off or ignored but modern world is striving to pay due homage to her. 

Artful Notes

The illustration is culturally resonant. It is transporting to the time and place, and depects both the simple life and a patriarchal society. The judemental eyes of the community as she rode a horse or was in the debate courtyard, is telling of how the society viewed her. 

Lines from the book

*

*

*

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This book is a good read. 

Good morning all... it's the

first day of my work from home in Summer time, break! Like always I have my schedule packed and a plan. 

This summer, I am planning to 

For home: 

• digitize Doddappa's/ Professor S K Lakshman Rao's research papers at Print Plus and upload it on Archive.org
• Clean up Room 2 entirely - downsize
• Clean up scary attic - downsize
• practice wearing a saree, everyday of Summer
• Organize pappa's 83rd Birthday 

For School:

• Read Math literature for children and develop story ideas for the end of year school play
• Develop a syllabus for the next year 
• Finish the middle school play - playscript - Shattered Thigh for the December 25 performance. 

Personal

• Watch films, 
• Read romances, 
• go out with friends - at least on big outing planned. 

but reality could be more like - a lot of sleeping in, a lot of popcorn, and being horizontal under a fan for most of the time.

Oh yes, there is Pranja's engagement... that is something I am looking forward to... 

Golden blooms

 

Golden blooms cascade,

sunlit whispers on the ground,

earth wears summer's gold.

(Peltophorum flowers bloom in Aditi School, Yelahanka)